Severely stretched out moments, most obvious in chase sequences where both parties are able to think or speak long lines during the chase (sometimes in several non-contiguous scenes) and the surroundings never seem to change, despite supposedly moving in insane speeds (and not going in circles)

I left out some other animé pet peeves (awkward poses/positioning of limbs is one other) since they aren't really attributed to Dragon Ball Z, but to animé in general.. Now I see that having a list of just 3 items is a bit awkward..

Anyway, I think these things are merely the result of poor translation of the scenes from the manga..

So the new Transformers movie is better than it had any reason to be. Sure, there were plot holes big enough for Optimus to drive through, but when your premise begins with the phrase, "There's an interplanetary civil war between an alien race of super robots," you kind of go with it.

My one complaint is that the movie lacked the phrase "Decepticreeps." And, similarly, though Ironside stole every scene where he spoke, the noted absense of his rallying cry -- "...bust some Deceptichops" -- did not go unnoticed. But, hey, that's why they make sequels.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

After another superhero dream, I dreamt I was in our kitchen, where I noticed a stack of old pamphlets, about one foot high. I don't know why I did, but I started scanning the pamphlets looking for "Singidas". An inch from the top of the stack, I got a glimpse of the name. Shock.

Suddenly, I was in a place that looked like Glorietta's Activity Center. People swarmed the place. I was approaching a bench, where a group of people where exchanging earphones. Among them was Noel Singidas.

Non-chalantly, I sat beside him, but we hardly talked. He was talking with his companions, and I noticed that, while the others had portable CD players and small MP3 players, Noel was clutching -- you wouldn't guess this -- a VHS tape. Someone I didn't quite recognize but surely was a common friend, pointed at the VHS. Noel said that it contained MP3s, converted. I silently chuckled, thinking of ways to help him improve his portable audio situation.

I almost interrupted him when I said that I remember the time when we had to edit VHS tapes manually, when we had to snip the tape and put it back together with Scotch tape. He just had a blank stare. I said that we were groupmates back in first-year high school with Selwyn Bantang. Then he smiled. He said that he did remember that. I felt relieved. (That didn't actually happen, the part where we snipped VHS tapes)

We were now lying down on the length of the bench, and we had a clear view of the people going down an escalator. I recognized PAL and Joshua Trocino and I called out, waved at them and pointed at Noel beside me. They didn't react until they were almost at the foot of the escalator, and I saw PAL's eyes shoot wide open. It was a great effort to keep myself from crying.

It seemed like a reunion, when I looked around. I could see almost every clique from high school. Batchmates kept coming to see Noel. Edsel Uy even gave him a big, big hug.

Out of nowhere, Noel caught a basketball in his hands. I looked around to see where it came from, and I noticed that we were by some beach. Puzzling.